Combination boat carrying and house trailer



Dec. 4, 1956 R. F. NEFF COMBINATION BOAT CARRYING AND HOUSE TRAILERFiled Aug. 23, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Roaenr f. Nan:

ATTORNEY.

Dec. 4, 1956 R. F. NEFF 2,772,912

COMBINATION BOAT CARRYING-AND HOUSE TRAILER Filed Aug. 25, 1954 2Sheets-Sheet 2 12 11 ll INVENTOR.

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.4 7' TORNE 1 United States Patent COMBINATION BOAT CARRYING AND HOUSETRAILER .This invention pertains to improvements in trailers andisparticularly directed to an improved combination boat carrying housetrailer of telescopic type.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide .an' improvedcombination boat carrying and living house trailer which maybe readilyadapted for carrying a .boat

or similar equipment but-which may be quicklyg put into use as a regularhouse trailer. 6 1 Still another object of this invention is to providea telescopic trailer which may be raised for carrying a boatorotherequipmentbut which may be easily and quickly lowered'or expandeddownwardly to provide living quar:

ters with suf'ficient standing room to form an excellent house trailerwhile the wall portions of the trailer frame are util-izedfforthestorage of equipment andhousekeeping-supplies; 1 p Still anotherobject of this invention is to provide an improved telescopic trailerhavinga main inverted U? shaped frame and an upright U-shaped bedportion telescopicallymounted in said frame which may be lowered from aroad traveling position to a ground position to convert the trailer froma load-carrying device to a housetrailer for living purposes.

Still another object of this invention is topro vide a telescopichouseand load carrying trailer having a raising and lowering bed portion forconverting the-trailer fromload-carrying' purposes while traveling overthe road: to a'lowered ground position for automatically converting thetrailer into living quarters. i Further featuresaud advantages of thisinvention will appear from a detailed descriptionof the drawings inwhich: Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a combination boat and house.trailer incorporating the features of this invention; 1

:Fig. 2 is a plan view of a trailer shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a rear end elevation of the trailer shown in Figs. land 2. i

Fig-I 4 is a side elevation of the raising and lowering floorand bedportion of thetrailer. g

Fig.5 is a plan view of the bed shown in Fig. 4. Fig.6 is an enlargedfragmentary view on the line ofFig. 2 showing one of the locking devicesfor the bed when in raised road-traveling position: in fthe trailerframe. 3 1 Fig. 7 is a diagram ofthe cable raising and loweringmechanism ofth'e bed of the trailer. I

-As illustrative of one embodiment of this invention there'is shown acombination boat andhouse trailer comprising the main frame 10'and thevertically movE able *bed 11,- the framebeing carried on the usual roadwheels 12'. The inainf'ramelO'comprises the side rails 13 and 14 towhich are fixed the shackles 15 which carry the pivot pins 16 upon whichare"pivotally mounted the;road wheel carrying arms 17 to'which arefixed'the spindles 18 upon which are suitably journaledthe road wheels12. The rear portions of the arms .17- are pivot 2 A ally connected at19 to a link 20 and a pin 21 to a suitable spring 22 secured by U-bolts23 to the rails 13 and 14 0f the frame 10.

The main frame .10 has its side rails 13 and 14 .connected to convergingrails 24 and 25 which are rigidly secured to the forward portions of therails 13 and 14 and are connected together rigidly with the hitch plate26 to which is fixed the usual hitch member 27 for attachment to thevehicle. Also, fixed to the side rails 13 and 14 are the upright framemembers 28, 29, 30 and 31 which terminate at their top portions rigidlywith the roof forming members 32 so as to form an inverted U-shapedframework. Downwardly converging struts 33 and 34 extend from the frontends of the corner angle members 35. at each'side' of the roof formingmembers 32 and extend downwardly and are rigidly connected at 36 to thevertical piece 37 which in turn is secured to the converging railmembers 24'and 25. Additional support pieces 38 may be interconnectedbetween the vertical members "28 and the point 36 for greater rigidityof the structure. 1 I j i The entire structure thus recited may becovered with a suitable metallic skin or the like as indicated M39, 40and 41 so as to comprise a completely enclosed inverted U-shaped frame.It is also contemplatedtoplace various .support and shelf-forming piecessuch as indi cated at 42, 43, 44 and 45 for additional rigidity and forproviding storage space between the outside skin 39-41 and thecorresponding inner surfaces 43 and 44 of the U-shaped frame 10. Inconnection with this .feature it is important to note that the width ofthe side frames formed by the side rails 13 and 14, the upright members28', 29, 30'and 31 and the various shelf pieces 42, 43, 44 and 45 are ofsuch a width as to accommodate the width of the road wheel 12' and thewheel carrying arms 17 while at the-same time providing an importantstorage space in the trailer for any position of the raising andlowering bed structure which will now be described.

Referring particularly to Figs. 4 and 5 there is shown the bed structurecomprising the floor 45 which is made rigid by suitable cross pieces 46and end pieces 47, the

rigidly the side walls respectively at 53, 54, and 56 of the bed whichwalls nicely slide in between the surfaces 43 and 44 of the trailerframe.10.

A cable elevating and lowering system is provided for the bedillustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 as best shown by referenceto the diagram ofFig. 7. In this. arrangement a fluid pressure cylinder 57 is securedtothe hitch plate 26 and has a vertically disposed piston rod 58 to theupper end of which is fixed a cross head 59 which carries a pair ofcable pulleys 60 over which passes the operating cables 61 which havetheir ends 62 rigidly attached to the member 37 of the frame 10. Thecables 61 pass over the pulleys 60 and then downwardly over the pulleys63 journaled on the frame member 37 and then extend horizontally andrearwardly along the converging rail members 24 and 25 Where they areprovided with loops 64 at some point intermediate the ends of themembers 24 and 25. To the front and rear portions of the bed.

11, at each side thereof, are the lifting cables 65 which are connectedat 66 and 67 to raise and lower the bed 11. These cables 65 extend fromthe connection point the" loops 64 of the cable 61 and then back overaddi- 'tional pulleys -71 journaled on the same axis' as the pulleys 69on the frame and then'over the pulleys -72 and finally downwardly to theconnection 67 with the bed 11 of the trailer. Thus, by applying fluidpressure in the cylinder 57 :to raise the piston rod 58 the 'cables 55will :be drawn upwardly to :lift the connection points 66 and 67 and thebed 11 upwardly into the *trailerto the position shown at 1112 in Fig.3. When pressure is released 'fromthe cylinder 57 to allow the'pistonrod 58 to return downwardly, the cables 65 will be releasedto allow thebed 11 to be loweredto ground engaging position l la'as'bestseenrin Fig.3.

When in {raised position the end cross members 47 of the bed llyliavingthe extended portions 73, engage the under side .of the side rails 13and 14 at the front and rear portion-ithereof so .as to bring theirlocking holes 74 into alignment with matingl holes 75 and 76,* Fig. 6,in the respective-lug pieces 77 and 78 secured to the side railsl-wfitnd 'rlidgof the-frame 10 so that lock pins '79 may be inserted'to{secure the bed 11 in-i-its upward roadtrav ingposition.gUtilizingthe-lockingdevices just descr bed the ,eables 65 are releasedof anytrload carrying during road-trayeliug and further, the crossmembers 47 sieeiii'ely lgelgthe lower portions of the side frames of theU-shaped trailer frame rigidly together so that side strain on the roadwheels will'haye no effect in spreading or wedgingi e sides ,of thetrailer structure together when e s i k w the 9 Itis alsorpractical toinclude a rolled canvas in the longitudinally extending pocket 80 in theside frame dlf-"lklifidesiried which may ;be pulled out and stretched onsuitable'supports to give a canopy to the side of the trailer foradditional living spaee and sun and rain prote'cti'ofn. a lhjereihasthus been provided a combination trailer structiire having telescopiccharacteristics in which the bed'member 11 can be raised or lowered frompositions 11 or 1 1b by manipulation of the power device 57. Further,itwillbe noted that when the bed is in lowered position the sidesautomatically expose the compartments formed by' the shelf members 42,43, 44 and 45 to render immediately accessible supplies kept in theframes 39-43 nd 4 4- i "ItWill befu'rther noted that as the bottom orbed 11 is moved to'raised position the various shelving andcompartnients' in the side frames are closed so that the materialsstored therein'are automatically held and locked into position;"'Furthjer,'when in raised position a boat may beplaced inthe trailerand on the floor of the bed 1'1for'road-travelingposition with the boatcompletely enclosed by the trailer sides ,o'f 'the top. And it will alsobe'noted that when theflbottom is in raised position 11b itautomatically locks the side frames together as one rigid box structure.

3"aPP3Ifl e e n di l d n describe constitutes apreferred form of theinvention, it also'to be understood'that the apparatus is capable ofmechanical alteration without departing from the spirit 1 of theinvention and thatsuc'h'mechanical arrangement and cornm'ercialadaptation fa's 'fall within-the scope of the apt-v,

pendentclaimsare intended to beincluded herein.

'Havingthus fully'se't forth and describedthis invention what isclaimedand desired "to be obtained by United States letterspatent is: i

1. Inatrailer haying 'arnain'frame, a vertically movable bed,road wheelsonsaid frame, and-power means tovertically reciprocate 'said bed, a'pair .of horizontally disposed "side rails on. said frame, wh e elcarrying arms pivotally andresiliently mounted on said side rails ,havingmeans to rota'tably mount said road contacting 'wheels within thesidewise confines of said side rails, upstanding hollow *wall'fra'mes onsaid side rails, a roofcar 'ed on saidwallframesfoutside wallpanelssecured to d 'fass id a fram a 99; i id d i 919 9. fit n s m nwallsrigidly secured to said bed the inside faces of said wall frames of saidmain frame -so-as-to form a closure for the spaces 'in said -hollow'wallframes when said bed is ,in raised position, end cross members fixedtransversely under the bottom of said bed, lug pieces on said siderails, and locking pins adapted to secure said cross members to saidside rails to support said bed in raised position and restrain said siderails against relative horizontal transverse movement.

2. A combination load carryingand'housetrailer comprising a rigidinverted U-ts'hapedirame having side rails, road wheels mounted on saidside rails within the lateral confines thereof, ho'llow side wallsmounted on top of and of substan ly th sam thickn s as said sid rails,wall panels fixed on the outside of said side walls, supply storagecompartments in 'saidside walls normally open to the interior of saidU-shaped frame, a bed having a bottom and sides rigidly attached closelyslidingly fitting between the open inside .faces of said hollow sidewalls ofis'aid main frame to expose said storage compartments foracces swhen said'bed-is in lowered ground c ontacting position for'housetraileruse, said sides :of-said bed forming'a closure-for saidcompartments whenin'rais'ed-road travelin'g position, end cross members fixedtransversely under the bottomof said bed, lu'g pieces on said siderailsfandlo'cling-pins adaptedto secure said crossmembers to said siderails to support said bed in raised position and restrain said siderails against relative horizontal transverse movement.

, 3f A combination load carrying-and house trailer-com prising'arigid'inverlted U-shaped frame having side rails, road-wheels mountedon said' side rails within the lateral confines thereof, hollow sidewalls mounted on top of and ofsubstantially thesame thickness as said'side rails, wall panels fixed on the outside of said side walls,'supplystorage compartments in said side walls normally open to ther'interiorof said U-shapedframe, a bed having a bottomsa'nd sides rigidly attachedthereto, said sides closely'slidingly fitting between the open insidefaces of said hollowsi'de walls of said main frame so asto expose saidstorage compartments for access when said bed is in loweredground-contacting position for house trailer use, said sides ofsaid :bedforming a closure for said compartments Whendn raised'road-travelingposition, a power actuator onsaid frame, cableactuating means connectedbetween said power'actuator and said bed for vertical movement of saidgbed .on. said frame, end eross members fixed transversely under thebottom-of said bed, lugnpieces on said side rails, and l'o'ckingpinsadapted to secure said :cross members to said side rails to support saidbed in raised position and restrain said side rails against relativehorizoa l tr n v rs m v 4. A eombinationload carrying and house trailercomprising a rigid inverted U-shaped frame having side rails,road-wheelsmounted on said side rails within the lateral CQ QQQSthQQQf,hollow side walls mounted on top Qf'and of substantially the samethickness as said side rails, .wall panelsfixed on theoutsideroffsaidside walls, supply-storage compartments in said sidewalls-normally open to the interior of said ii -shaped frame, abedhaying .a 'vbottom sides rigidly attached-thereto, said sides closelyslidingly'fitting'betweeri the open insidefaces of said hollow sidewallsjof isaidfmainfrarne so as to exposesaid storage compartments "foraccess when said bed is in lowered ground-contacting position f r' housetrailer, use, said sides of said bed forming a 'elosure for saidcomparttest wh n r s d s d tr e -PQ 9. ,.2. P0W aetuator onsaidframecable actuating means connected be en .said power actuator and saidbed for-vertical QQYQ Ent of said ,bed on said frame, a locking meanscountable-between theouterends of'sai'd bed and said s id s of aid framewhen.said'.bed is in raised positio n-said frame,said-lockingmeans-including end cross Qt, fixfidzttimsyerselyunderithebottom of said-bed, 111g I'P ECGS ionzsaid-flsiderails, and locking pinseng neers $653 .13: Saidcross :members to said side railsto support saidbed in raised position and restrain said side rails against relativehorizontal transverse movement.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS LindigJune 6, 1950

